Washington Receives Richard Bernstein Achievement Award

PRINCESS ANNE, MD - A senior at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Nicholas Washington, was awarded the Richard Bernstein Achievement Award for Excellence during the 57th annual Honors Convocation ceremony today in the Ella Fitzgerald Center for the Performing Arts.

Washington received $5,000 for the award named for and established by the businessman credited with bringing the world of high technology to Maryland’s Eastern Shore.

“Nicholas is one of the students whose name will come up frequently in the years to come as one of our very best, who has gone on to do excellent things whichever path he follows,” said Dr. Kate Brown, chair the Department of Business, Management and Accounting.

The Richard Bernstein Achievement Award for Excellence is an unrestricted gift, awarded to a UMES senior graduating in business, accounting, science, engineering, construction management technology, and mathematics or computer science. The Bernstein Award recipient must demonstrate leadership abilities at school or in the community, effectiveness on an interpersonal basis, a high degree of integrity, the ability to work with others, outstanding performance in academic work, the potential for continued scholarly work and evidence of overcoming physical or personal obstacles to earn a degree.

Washington, an accounting major with a 3.98 grade point average, is a natural leader, who has overcome barriers to study in the United States from his native Jamaica.

In the Federal Reserve Challenge, Washington served as captain for the team representing UMES. He is also a Verizon Scholar and a Thurgood Marshall Scholar, who was inducted into Sigma Beta Delta, the premier business honor society, last year.

The former president for the UMES Pre-Law chapter of Phi Alpha Delta Law Fraternity, Washington was named a University of Baltimore School of Law Scholar, which earned him a full scholarship to law school.

Additionally, he was selected as a Rhodes Scholar finalist for Jamaica this year, making him the first UMES student to receive that prestigious distinction.

Washington has opted to defer law school for now and has accepted a position with the Big Four audit, tax and advisory firm KPMG LLP, following graduation in May.